Staggered starting racing gate



July 30, 1957 P. A. YOUNG STAGGERED STARTING RACING GATE 2 Sheets-Sheet1 Filed Aug. 31, 1955 INVENTOR.

ATTD RN EYS 3 1957' P. A. YOUNG 2,800,877

STAGGERED STARTING RACING GATE Filed Aug. 31, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR. a

ay/,4. Wan a United States Patent STAGGERED STARTING RACING GATE Paul A.Young, Waynesfield, Ohio Application August 31, 1955, Serial No. 531,725

1 Claim. (Cl. 119-155) This invention relates to starting gates for racetracks and particularly tracks for harness races Where a horse at theoutside of a track is a greater distance from the first turn than thehorse at the inner rail of the track; and in particular, this inventionincludes a gate positioned on a radius from the first turn so that thestarting points of all horses participating in a race are spaced equallyfrom the first turn of a track.

The purpose of this invention is to provide means for starting allhorses of a race the same distance from the first turn whereby allhorses have an equal chance of ob taining a position at the inside railof a race track.

Gates of race tracks are positioned perpendicular to side rails thereofso that the horse at the inner rail is closer to the first turn than theend horse at the outside of the track and, under general racingconditions, it would be impossible for the horse at the outside of thetrack to gain a position at the inside rail at the first turn.Consequently, the horse at the outside falls in behind the horsesstarting at the inner points of the track. With this thought in mind,this invention contemplates a gate positioned on a radius with thecenter from which the radius is described positioned at the first turnof a race track whereby the positions of all horses starting behind thegate are equally spaced from the first turn.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide means for forminga gate of a race track whereby all horses participating in a race startthe same distance from the first turn.

Another object of the invention is to provide an off center gate for arace track in which the gate is adapted to be readily closed so that itmay be readily transported to a position at one side of the track.

A further object of the invention is to provide a gate for a race trackin which the gate is described on a radius from the first turn of thetrack in which the gate is of a simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view, the inventionembodies a race track gate including two sections with each sectionpivotally mounted on the rear of a motor vehicle and with both sectionsadapted to be quickly closed to positions on the side of the vehicle,the sections being positioned on a radius the center of which ispositioned at the first turn of a race track.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowing description, taken in connection with the drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a plan view showing a section of a race track illustratingthe position of the arcuate gate, all portions of which are equallyspaced from the first turn of the track, on the track.

Figure 2 is a plan view showing the arcuate gate positioned on the rearof a motor vehicle.

Figure 3 is a rear elevational view of a motor vehicle on which thesections of the gate are pivotally mounted showing the sections inextended positions.

Figure 4 is a wiring diagram showing controls and stops for operatingparts of the gate.

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Figure 5 is a plan view illustrating a typical arrangement of themechanical details of the operating elements of the gate showing thesections of the gate closed in full lines and extended in broken lines,the foreparts of the vehicle on which the gate is mounted being brokenaway.

Figure 6 is a longitudinal section, taken on line 66 of Figure 5,illustrating a method of operating a traveler with which the sections ofthe gate are actuated, parts of the device being broken away and theparts being shown on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 7 is a cross section through the operating mechanism of the gate,taken on line 7--7 of Figure 5, also showing the traveler and track uponwhich the traveler is mounted.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters denotecorresponding parts, the improved race track gate of this inventionincludes gates 10 and 11 suspended from sleeves 12'and 13 pivotallymounted on posts 14 and 15, respectively, and suitable mounting andoperating instrumentalities including bell cranks having longitudinallydisposed arms 16 and 17 and transversely disposed sections 18 and 19pivotally mountedon pins 20 and 21, respectively, rods 22 and 23connecting the bell cranks to a slider 24, similar rods 25 and 26connecting the bell cranks to arms 27 and 28 extended from lower ends ofthe sleeves 12 and 13, respectively, a motor 29 and a gear reductionunit or housing 30.

The gates 10 and 11 include upper rails 31 and 32, lower rails 33 and34, connecting struts 35 and 36 and wire mesh number retaining panels 37and 38. The outer ends of the rails 31 and 33 are connected with an endsection 39 and the inner ends are secured, such as by welding, to thesleeve 12. The gate is supported with a diagonally disposed brace 40that is secured to the lower rail 33 at one end, and to the lower end ofthe sleeve 12, as shown in Figure 3, at the other. The outer ends of therails 32 and 34 are connected with an end section 41 and the gate 11,which includes the rails 32 and 34 is supported with a diagonallydisposed brace 42, similar to the brace 40.

The arms 27 and 28 are integral with and extend from the lower ends ofthe sleeves 12 and 13, respectively, and the sleeves are pivotallymounted on the posts 14 and 15 which are mounted at the ends of atransversely disposed frame including an upper bar 43, end bars 44 and45, vertically spaced bars 46 and diagonal braces 47. The upper ends ofthe posts 14 and 15 are retained by bearings 48 and 49 mounted on thebar 43 of the transversely disposed frame and the lower ends are mountedin extensions 50 and 51 at the end of a transversely disposed member 52.The transversely disposed frame is also supported with diagonal braces53 and 54 that extend from the upper bar 43 of the frame to mountingbrackets 55 and 56 on a body 57 of a vehicle upon which the gate ismounted.

The rods 22, 23, 25, and 26 are provided with threaded ends and yokes57, threaded on the ends of the rods, are securedin adjusted positionswith lock nuts 58. The yokes at one of the ends of the rods 25 and 26are pivotally connected by pins 59 and 60 to the arms 27 and 28 and theyokes on the opposite ends are pivotally connected by pins 61 and 62 tothe sections 18 and 19 of the bell cranks. The arms 16 and 17 of thebell cranks are con-. nected by pins 63 and 64 to yokes on the ends ofthe rods 22 and 23 and the yokes on the opposite ends of the rods 22 and23 are connected by pins 65 and 66 to the traveler or slider 24 of theoperating mechanism.

The slider 24 includes a flat bar having a U-shaped intermediate portion67 that is positioned to travel on a T-bar or body member 68, the bar 24having depending ears 3 sprocket 74 being mounted on a head shaft 75providing a driving sprocket and the sprocket 73, which is mounted on ashaft 76 being an idler sprocket. The shaft 76 is rotatably mounted inframe members 77 and? 78 and the shaft 75, which is rotatably mounted inbearings '79 and- 80 is positioned with one end extended into the gearhousing 30 whereby a gear 81 is secured thereon. The gear 81 meshes witha pinion 82 on a shaft 83 and one end of the shaft 83, which extendsfrom the'gear housing, is provided with a pulley 84 over which a belt 85which extends from a pulley 86 onthe motor 29 is trained.

With the parts in the positions shown in full'lines in Figure 5, themotor 29 is started and the slider 24rnoves from the position shown infull lines to the position shown in broken lines wherein the gates 10and ll are extended to the positions shown in broken lines. Although therails or beams '77 and 78 are illustrated as being I-bearns,'

which the shafts are rotatably mounted, however, it will be understoodthat the ends of the rails or beams may be connected with other suitablemeans.

The electrical circuits to operate the gateare connected to a battery92, one terminal 93 of which is connected by a wire 94 to a ground 95and the opposite terminal of which is connected by a wire 96 to buttonactuated switches 97 and 98 on the instrument panel or dashboard of thevehicle.

The motor 29 for actuating the gate sections to ex-' tended or foldedpositions, selectively, is controlled by a circuit, as illustrated inFigure 4, wherein with the gates nested or folded against the sides ofthe vehicle, as illustrated in Figure 5, the sections are extended bypressing a button 99 inwardly, closing the switch 97 and completing acircuit from the ground 95 through the battery 92 and the wire 96 to oneterminal of the switch 97 and from the opposite terminal of the switchthrough a. wire 100 to a relay 101 which closes a switch 102, one sideof which is connected by a wire 103 to a wire 104 which is connected tothe battery 92. The opposite side of the switch 102 is connected by awire 105 to a switch 106,-which being closed by a relay 107 completes acircuit to one terminal of the motor 29 through a wire 108 whereby themotor is actuated to move the slider 24 from the position shown in fulllines in Figure to that shown in broken lines wherein the gates and 11are extended. The relay 107 is connected by a wire 109 to one terminalof a switch 110, the opposite terminal of the switch being connected bya wire 111 to the wire 104 extended from the battery 92, the oppositeterminal of the relay 107 being grounded, as shown at a point 112.

By this means a circuit is completed to the motor 29 to swing the gatesoutwardly to extended positions, as

shown in Figure 3, and as the gates reach extreme positions, partsthereof engage the limit switch 110 breaking the circuit to the relayand consequently the circuit to the motor.

With the gates extended, and when it is desired to fold or retract thegates against the sides of the vehicle, a button 113 of the switch 98 isactuated whereby a circuit is completed from the battery 92 through thewire 96 to a terminal 114 of the switch and from the opposite terminalof the switch a circuit is completed to a ground'115 through .a relay116 through a wire 7. With the relay 117 energized by closing a limitswitch 118, a switch 119 is closed whereby a circuit is completed fromthe battery 92 through the wire 104 to one side of a switch 120 and theopposite side of the switch 120 is connected by a wire 121 to a switch122, closed by the relay 117, the opposite terminal of the switch 122being connected by a wire 123 to a terminal 124 of the motor 29. By thismeans the motor will continue to operate, withdrawing the gates, ormoving the slider 24 from the position shown in broken lines in Figure 5to that shown in full lines wherein the gates 10 and 11 are nestedagainst the sides of the vehicle. As the gates 10 and 11 reach thepositions shown in Figure 5, at the sides of the vehicle, the limitswitch 1.18 is opened whereby a circuit from the battery 92 through thewires 96, 125, and 126 to the relay 117 is broken, and with the circuitto the relay broken the switch 122 opens, breaking'the circuit to themotor' and, consequently, stopping the folding movement of the gatesections.

With the parts designed and assembled'as illustrated and described andwith the gate formed on a radius, such as the radius 127 describedfrom acenter 128 on a first turn 129 of a race track 130, the posts 14 and 15will be positioned whereby the distance of the post 15 from a line 131,perpendicular to the track 130 is greater than the distance of the post14 from the line, as illustrated in Figure l, and with the line 131 at astarting point 132 a section or gate for each horse will be positionedthe same distance from the center 128 or first turn or bend of thetrack.

After circling the track with the gate sections extended, as illustratedin Figure 2, and upon reaching the position of the vehicle 57, shown inFigure l, and upon sounding of the starting signal, the gates are foldedinstantly and the speed of the vehicle increased whereby the vehicle ismoved out of the path of the racing horses and each horse has an equalchance of making the rail at the first turn.

It will be understood that the gate sections may be opened and closed byother means and other modifications, within the scope of the appendedclaim, may be made in the design and arrangement of the parts withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

In a race track starting device, a movable vehicle support, first andsecond posts mounted on the rear of said support, sleeves pivotallymounted on said posts, gates secured to said sleeves, pins extendingupwardly from said support, bell cranks pivotally connected to saidpins, arms extending from the lower ends of said sleeves and securedthereto, first rod connecting said arms to one end of the bell crank,second rods connected to the other ends of said bell cranks, a sliderconnected to said pair of second rods and including a U-shapedintermediate portion, a body member for slidably supporting said intermediate portion, ears depending from said slider, a chain connectedto said ears, a motor for driving said chain, electrical circuit meansfor controlling actuation of said motor, one of said posts beingarranged forwardly of the other post with respect to the direction oftravel of the support so that when the gates are opened, the gates willbe arranged in a substantially arcuate direction with respect to thelongitudinal axis of the support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

